Heartfelt's Journey
by Samhain Night
Summary: Having a Lethal born can be an very exciting event, but what happens when it's born through a Reverse Breeding that goes horribly wrong and the situation is deemed unsloveable? How could one be so cruel... (The story that you are about to read is based off of actual events. Some names/identities have been changed to protect the identities of the parties involved.)
1. First Impressions Can Be Deceiving

_February, 2019 (exact date, unknown)_

Ah, February. The month of Scrotums, love and….heats! More importantly, Hybrid Heats! That's right! Many rare Hybrid Heats were being sold all throughout month due to the Aphrodisia Event taking place, intrigued by the chance to have a Hybrid in his pride - Grimoire stalked through the available lionesses, looking for one with an affordable price. He searched for days, until one caught his attention. "Ah, two Buffalo Scrotums for a First Generation Tigon Heat, hmm?" "Yep, that's right! We'd only be splitting multiple Tigon litters, so if more than one Tigon is born you'd get to have the first pick of the litter! I'm not interested in anything else. " Said the Icy colored Queen of the pride. "I'm currently also doing free Breedings to my Leopon girl as well, if your interested." She said with a smile. "How interesting, a Leopon and a Tigon. Aren't you lucky." Said Grimoire grinning. "Very well, I'll take both Heats please." He said as Salem confirmed that they could afford it. "Great! I'll add you to the list and send for you when it's your turn to have her Heat." Said the Icy Queen, a kind sparkle lighting her Dawn colored Eyes. "Thank you very much, your very generous to sell your Tigon's Heat for such a reasonable price and for giving away your Leopon's heat." Said Grimoire with a kind grin. "Oh, thank you. I'm just trying to help other Kings get these wonderful creatures for cheap as I know buying them can be quite expensive." She said with a light blush dusting her furry cheeks. "That's very kind of you. I look forward to hearing from you soon." Said Grimoire as he stood to leave, Salem standing by his side. "We'll be in touch, thank you for the business!" Said the Icy Queen, giving them a kind smile. "You're welcome and thank you." Said Grimoire as the pair turned to leave and eagerly wait for turn.

Days passed as Grimoire patiently waited to hear from the Ice Queen, fearing the possibility of being scammed out of two valuable items. His mind buzzed with paranoia as he laid on the outskirts of his Pride, head atop his paws as he stared at nothing in particular. "Something troubling you?" Said a soft voice. Lifting his head, ears forward, he turned to see who spoke to him. There stood Salem, concern evident in her sparkling green eyes. "Yes, a little, I suppose." Said Grimoire as he looked off to the side with flattened ears. "Oh?" Replied Salem as she stepped closer to lay beside him. "What's on your mind?" Asked Salem worried, as she tilted her head and placed her paw on his. Grimoire looked to the ground below him, Salem could almost see a bit of fear in his eyes as he spoke. "You know that there are many corrupt lions in these lands. Greedy, selfish Kings and Queens cheating others out of what they were promised….I fear that we could be the next victims..." Startled by his words, Salem tried her best to reassure him that everything will be ok and if they did get cheated, they could go to the High Kings and Queens that created this land and ask for help. Surely they could set things straight, right...? Suddenly, a pride mate came running up to them. "My King, my Queen." Greeted the Lioness with a bow. "Greetings, Miyako. Do have news?" Asked Salem as she admired the beautiful pride mate. She was very beautiful, dark Onyx fur, glittered with a rare marking that made her pelt look like a starry night and an odd mutation covering some of her beauty. Miyako, you see, was born with a Piebald mutation that covered some of her fur in stark white. "I do, my Queen." Nodded the lioness as she sat down. "What news do you have Miyako?" Asked Grimoire curiously. "Remember that pretty queen that you spoke to? The one that you bought that Heat from?" Asked the monochrome lioness, squinting her Starshine eyes. "I do." Nodded Grimoire, afraid to know where this was going. "Has something happened?" Asked Salem, worriedly. "No, my Queen. I just came to inform you that she is asking the community for help. I thought that it may interest you." Said Miyako. "Ah, I see. Then I shall go to see what I can do to help." Said Grimoire as he rose to his feet, the two lionesses following in suite. "Thank you Miyako." Said Grimoire as he and Salem began heading in the direction of the Ice Queen.

Chatter, as this part of the land is called, was buzzing with voices. Hence the name, lions from all over come here for all sorts of reasons - some to have talks with other lions, some to role play and have fun, some to advertise their sales - the list is endless. It was a place for the community to come together and socialize rather peacefully but fights do break out on occasion. Grimoire and Salem walked through the Sales area as crowds of lions called out to advertise what they were selling. Cubs, adults, lions and goods covered the areas behind the advertising lions. After making a few stops to see if anything caught their interest, they finally made their way to where the Ice Queen had set up shop. "Please, help! I need a Buffalo Scrotum for my friend, urgently! Please help!" They heard her voice through the loud atmosphere as they got closer, a few lions stopped to listen to her, some asked what she was offering in return - they were unsure if someone had already helped her as they approached. "Hello again." Greeted Grimoire as they stood before her. "Oh, hello Grimoire, good to see you again." Said the Ice Queen as she noticed them. "We heard that you need some help, what can we do?" Asked Salem politely. "Oh, I'm in need of a Buffalo Scrotum for a friend of mine. They need it very soon, it's an urgent matter." Said the Icy Queen quickly. The pair glanced at each other, debating on whether or not to help, they did have a Scrotum tucked away for future use. After a brief moment, Grimoire turned back to the Ice Queen with a kind smile on his muzzle. "Well, we do have one that we've been saving. Perhaps we could trade it to you, to help you and your friend." "Really?! Oh, thank you so much Grimoire!" Said the Ice Queen excitedly. "Here." Said Salem as she pulled the Scrotum from thin air and held it out to her. "Oh, thank you, thank you! In return, I'd like to give you an Extra Breeding to my Leopon or Tigon as a reward for your help!" Said the Ice Queen, grateful that someone came to help. "It's the least that we could do for you. You were so kind to let us have a chance to breed to your Hybrids." Said Salem giving a short bow to the Ice Queen. "Well, thank you for your help. Which Hybrid would you like to have an extra breed to?" Inquired the Ice Queen. The pair shared a quick glance to one another, before nodding. Grimoire looked to the Ice Queen and said, "We'd like the Tigon heat, please." "Alright," said the Ice Queen as she pulled a piece of parchment and scribbled his name down under the Tigons Heat list. "There you go, one Leopon Heat and two Tigon Heats. Be ready, it's almost your turn!" Said the Icy Queen with a wink. The pair shared a laugh with the Queen, before thanking her once again for her generosity and kindness and turned to go home.

February 23rd, 2019

Finally, the day came. The first to be bred was the Second Generation Leopon, Grimoire handed over all of the items that he wished to have used on her: a Buffalo Scrotum to ensure that three Cubs would be born, a Crunchy Worm to have a chance at having a Clone of the beautiful mother, a Great Tit to ensure that all of the Cubs would be female, an Instant Cub Delivery to quickly induce the birth, a Lion Meat to have a fair chance at a mutation and the required 20 Yohimbe Barks to bypass the Breeding Cooldown.

Once the deed was done, the Feather instantly birthed the cubs - much to the surprise and delight of Grimoire and Salem, a Leopon was born. The couple never got to see the other cubs, they disappeared shortly after being born. Grimoire suspects that the Icy Queen must have killed or chased them in secret, without his knowledge or consent. This made Grimoire and Salem uneasy. They quickly gathered up 2 Golden Beetles and purchased an Aging Stone from the Oasis for the Leopon Cub to be immediately sent over to them, thankfully she was.

Next up was the very rare and beautiful First Generation Tigon. Salem handed over their payment of two Buffalo Scrotums for the heat along with their last Buffalo Scrotum, a Crunchy Worm, a Great Tit, an Instant Cub Delivery, a GMO Cow and the required 20x Yohimbe Barks to be used for the heat. This litter brought three beauties into the world, one cub devoid of color - a Melanism! The second cub looked exactly like the mother, the Crunchy Worm had worked - a Clone! The third was the most special, for she was very different than her sisters. This cub was very large and lumpy, she could barely move - she had Lipomatosis. A very rare and fatal mutation. Pure joy and excitement filled the couple for they were blessed with four wonderful Cubs. They immediately found a way to earn more Golden Beetles and purchased more Aging Stones for the two Cubs to quickly be sent home and they were. The Lipomatosis was going to be a challenge, for a Jellyfish was needed to preserve her life. The couple searched for any cheap ones all over the lands, while keeping in contact with the Icy Queen. While they were searching, Icy Queen informed them that they didn't need to worry about finding one. She told them that a friend of hers had given her a Jellyfish for the poor Lethal cub. Grateful for the kindness of the Icy Queen and her friend, they patiently waited for the Lipomatosis to be sent to them - however, she never came….Worried and confused, the couple reached out to Icy Queen, only to find out that their deepest fears have become reality…..

Icy Queen was hesitant to hand over the cub, claiming that she adored to cub too much. Grimoire and Salem attempted to talk some sense into her, but she wasn't listening… They then attempted to buy back the cub, offering way more then the Cub's worth - even their life savings. Still Icy Queen was hesitant. Seemingly making it clear that she wasn't going to give them their cub, Grimoire and Salem turned to the high Kings and Queens for help on the matter. They pleaded their case, provided evidence, only to be told that nothing could be done - the terms of the agreement "weren't clear,'' they said. Enraged Grimoire roared out to them, deeming them useless and unfair. How could they let such a crime go?! Tired of their excuses and apologies, Grimoire turn his back on them and stated that he would no longer seek them out for help. "Surely they would have done something if they were in my place, they had the power to so, but it would seem when it came to others - they would do nothing. Such useless, unfair gods." He thought in pure anger.

A verbal fight broke out across the two territories as Grimoire tried to explain that what Icy Queen was doing was wrong, she didn't agree. Neither did her friends that joined the fight. For days Grimoire fought and tried to get his cub home, a fruitless effort. He then reached out to his Clanmates and warned them of Icy Queen, he told them what had happened and advised that no one do business with that wretched Queen.

Much to his surprise, some of his Clanmates tried to help him make things right. They approached the Icy Queen, trying to get through to her - their efforts were in vain...Grimoire then realized that his precious little girl would never come home…. For months he tracked her, watched her and waited. All he wanted was his little girl home…


	2. More Pain, More Despair

March 9th, 2019

Once again Grimoire was hidden in the brush outside of the Icy Queens territory, but he quickly realized his cub was nowhere to be found. Determined to find her, he scoured the lands and found her. His cub was now called Mowgli, residing in a different territory - a friend of the wretched Icy Queen as a gift. Grimoire hoped that this new King had a better sense of right and wrong. Much to his dismay, they were no better than her. They didn't believe a word that Grimoire said, claiming that they couldn't trust his word. They only believed Icy Queen's because they were friends. Grimoire tried to explain the situation and what had really happened, he even provided proof - still they didn't believe. Knowing that he was dealing with yet another immature child, he asked that if they ever decided to sell his cub to please contact him. Even if it was five years from now, he pleaded to be contacted.

They furiously demanded that he leave and stated that they "would never sell a gift from a friend because it would be wrong!". Grimoire rolled his eyes at this child. Selling a gift was wrong, but having someone keep what wasn't theirs was fine, he sighed heavily at the lack of common sense this King and Icy Queen shared. He took his leave and was barred from that territory, never again allowed to contact that king again…

For months Grimoire still watched over his cub, still waiting, still hoping that she come home… Salem and the other Lioness have wept since the day their cub wasn't given to them. The little Lipomatosis cubs sisters were all distraught that their sister may never be reunited with them. They've all grown so much since then. The Leopon cub changed drastically, her eyes and fur colors were changed to enhance her rarity - her dull Black coat was now as shimmery as a dark red gem, Rough Ruby. Her soft Blue eyes now glittered in soft red hues, like Garnet. She was named Lucky Gemstone, even though she wasn't a littermate of the Lipomatosis cub, she treasured her as a sister. The Melanism cub and the Tigon clone cub are both grown up as well, the Melanism now named "Twisted Truth" had fallen into a pit of despair as deep and dark as her pelt. Pain and sorrow filled her heart. The Clone now named "Nomusa" dedicated herself to helping others like her, she became a Shaman in hopes of finding peace within herself. Still no matter what the pride did, the heavy clouds that hung over them remained and they quickly grew uneasy of strangers for fear that another corrupted soul would come take advantage of the Prides great emotional distress… Grimoire kept in touch with his Clanmates here and there, to keep them updated on the situation. Some felt his pain and anger as their own, but still, not much could be done.


	3. A Day of Cold, A Lifetime of Warmth

June 11th 2019

Once more Grimoire patrolled the territory where his cub was being kept, once more he watched her from a far. Imagine his surprise when the king put a price tag on her and took her to the Trading Center! He quickly went home to inform the pride of the news, they were shocked but still they knew that they could never match the asking price for her. 450 Golden Beetles was way more than the pride has ever owned or earned…

Yet another surprise shocked the pride, the Icy Queens friend who currently held the cub...had just sent word to him. They had actually contacted him about his cub! Bursting with eagerness while keeping a calm face, Grimoire hoped that he could negotiate but deep down he knew that even if he sold all of his possessions, it still wouldn't be enough. In the end, Grimoire could not offer enough. With the small sliver of hope slipping from his paws, he turned to his Clanmates filling them in on the situation. He didn't ask for handouts, he didn't ask for help - he just wanted them to know, to spread the word about the situation should another buy her, hoping that someone would help right this wrong.

As he was about to leave, two lions named 'Blue' and 'Peach' stepped forward and asked to speak with him privately. They wanted to know the full story and to see the evidence that Grimoire had on the whole situation. So he sat and told them everything that happened that day, pulled out all of the evidence that he had and showed them. He even told them about Icy Queens friends that joined the fight and how they stated that they wouldn't have handed over the cub either. The two lions were furious, one roared out in anger - they couldn't stand people like that. The other was just as angry but kept a bit of a calmer composure.

Once Grimoire finished his story, the two jumped into action. One prepared to pay the Golden Beetles necessary to buy the cub if he could get the price lower somehow, the other prepared an army with his/her words. Grimoire was stunned, he hadn't expected this and even told them that they didn't have to do this. He had accepted the fact that his Cub may never come home long ago. They just grinned at him and said that they wanted to. They wanted to help, no matter the cost, they would not allow this atrocity pass. Together they formed a plan of action, all the while keeping Grimoire informed about everything. To him, they looked like a pair of army generals preparing to go to war.

They first tried to talk to the king selling the stolen Lipomatosis cub to no avail. The king would ask Grimoire to ask them to stop contacting them. Grimoire told him that he could try, but they were acting on their own accord and stated that he could not control what they did or said, they were just trying to help him get his cub. The king understood and didn't hold it against the trio. Little by little, the situation was gradually being resolved. 'Blue' and Grimoire worked together with their statements, checking things over with each other before sending word back to the king. 'Blue' was remarkable with their words, they flowed like poetry. Their words were calm,to the point and explained things in great detail, this lion was experienced in their craft. Grimoire thought that they must be an incredible story writer.

After a few (suprisingly) calm conversations with the king, they lowered the price for them from 450 Golden Beetles to 250 Golden Beetles. 'Peach' took that moment to take action, they would offer that amount for the cub and when cub was off of the Trading Cooldown 'Peach' would immediately send her to Grimoire. These two lions worked so hard to help Grimoire, he only hoped that this worked and that they could move fast enough to get the cub before someone else did. Still, deep down, Grimoire was afraid that it wouldn't work. His mind raced with every negative possibly: "What if someone got to her first?" "Would they be understanding or would they be like the wretched Icy Queen and their loyal friend?" "What if the king didn't take the offer?" "What if, what if, what if" his mind ran out of his control! He was drowning so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realize that 'Peach' had made their move, his heart sank when he received word that a trade was completed. Slowly, despair entangled his heart, anxiety wrapped itself around his throat choking him.

Faintly, he could hear voices but they sounded so far away… "Grimoire" his name echoed in his mind, over and over, laughter echoed through along with his name. Then he was being nudged in his side, with a blank stare the turned to 'Blue'. They had been calling his name, a wide grin on their muzzle, they were nudging him - trying to get him to focus. Still everything that he heard was like an echo, then all at once it snapped back to normal. "Grimoire! Grimoire!" 'Blue' said nudging him harder. "Look Grimoire, look!" 'Blue' raise their paw in front of him so that he would look in the direction that they were pointing. Slowly, Grimoire's gaze followed their paw and looked into the distsnce. What he saw made his heart swell with joy, tears brimmed in the corners of his eyes, a small smile made it's way into his muzzle. There was 'Peach' walking towards them...with the scruff of a large lumpy cub in their mouth. It was her! His precious, immortal cub! When 'Peach' finally stood before him, 'Blue' moved to 'Peach's side and said with a big smile, "We did it." Those two standing in front of him, with his long lost Lethal brought Grimoire over the edge. He bowed his head and cried. Months of pain and suffering were now over, thanks to these two incredible lions. Gently, the cub was placed at Grimoire's paws, he couldn't stop thanking them. He swore that one day that he'd find a way to repay them, no matter what the cost. With joyful smiles on their muzzles, they shook their heads, telling him that there was no need. They were happy to help and that they were just glad that she's home. With Grimoire saying a thousand "thank yous", the pair and Grimoire with his immortal baby all departed and went home to rejoice, for today was victorious!

Grimoire's pride waited eagerly for their King to return, they knew where he had gone and what was happening. They hoped for the best but feared for the worse. Suddenly, their queen gasped. Worried, they crowded her only to find tears streaming down her face and her muzzle hanging open with a huge grin. They followed her gaze to see what she saw and when they did - the pride literally roared in excitement. There was their King walking back to them…. with their lost pridemate in his mouth. The first to run out and greet them were Lucky Gemstone, Twisted Truth and Nomusa then the rest of the pride followed. All eager to nuzzle and welcome the cub home.

As they all crossed back over into their territory, Grimoire slowly place the cub into the ground and rubbed his head on hers. A single question remained. Salem leaned onto Grimoire grateful that all went well and asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "What shall we name her?" Grimoire looked to the sky in thought, the clouds were breaking apart, the sun shining through. He closed his eyes and remembered the two lions that helped him accomplish this. With tears brimming his eyes again, he glanced down at the cub. "Heartfelt." He said. The cub glanced up at him. "Your name shall be Heartfelt." He told her as he leaned down to nuzzle her again. "Heartfelt?" The cub repeated then smiled and said, "I like it." Once more the pride roared in unison with joy and happiness. The fight was over, she was home at last!

A Few Months Later

Grimoire hasn't seen or heard from the Icy Queen or her loyal friends since the incident. He's grateful for that, for he still holds a grudge against them after it all happened. Occasionally, he would walk by their territories and see if they were still around. As cruel as it may seem, when he noticed that Icy Queen had disappeared - he was beyond happy. He wasn't her first victim, he had investigated and found out that this wasn't her first time scamming someone. He wasn't happy about that. However, he was glad to be her last victim, glad that no one else would suffer because of her. She was a deceiver, a con artist, a liar, a scammer - Grimoire now knew that she had done this before. There's no telling how many times or how many were scammed by her, either way he is glad that she is gone. Her friends have been silent, no word has been heard about them since then. He is unsure if they are still prowling the lands...

The Hybrid Breeding Offsprings - Lucky Gemstone, Twisted Truth, Nomusa as well as his beloved Salem have all passed away since then. Heartfelt still to this day resides within Grimoire's pride, she means so much more to him now. How is Grimoire still around, you ask? Well, before Salem's passing, she cast a spell on Grimoire. His form and appearance may change at the end of each reign, but a new soul would replenish him and give him new youth each time. She knew that he could never join her on the other side, for he must protect Heartfelt. Thus, two immortal lions are all that remain as a reminder to that day. Peace has been restored to the lands. Even though his heart remains wary and cold, he still melts when he visits Heartfelt. For she will always be as bright and warm as the sun.

End


End file.
